Research activity

Current research

If you are interested in taking part in any of our future research projects, please email us at apru (@gold.ac.uk). We also run a free Participant Panel through which we circulate news about current projects, forthcoming projects and results from recently completed projects.

Research profile

Professor French is currently engaged in a wide range of relevant projects in this area, ranging from international collaborative research projects through supervision of postgraduate research students to supervision of project and placement students.

(i) International collaborative links: Professor French is engaged in a number of international collaborative investigations with researchers overseas.

(ii) Postgraduate research students:
There are a number of MPhil/PhD students working within this area in the Department, all supervised or co-supervised by Prof. French. This represents a substantial proportion of the UK-based research postgraduates in this area.

(iii) Project and placement students:
Project and placement students have carried out studies on a wide range of topics including cognitive biases in interpreting evidence for the paranormal; actual tests of psychic claims; belief in astrology; claims relating to "crystal power"; the relationship between paranormal belief, fantasy proneness, and childhood abuse; population stereotypes; memory for psychic readings; the psychology of luck, and so on. Many of these studies have formed the basis of publications and conference presentations.